Cultivating quietness and connection

Quietness? What is that? Today we rarely can go anywhere without some noise in the background. Many people are entirely overly attached to cell phones, ipods, radio's, TV's, and pretty much anything electronic. I admit all of these are wonderful and very useful things and I personally love my blackberry. However, there needs to be some time for quiet and connection. I had a very incredible eye opening experience not too long ago, I did some observing of other's. (People watching) Have you ever done it? It is amazing! I watched as parents and teens alike "texted" continually while at dinner. I saw a teenage girl spending time with her sister and the entire time they each "texted" their friends. A family was driving in the car next to me, both parents on the phone, and the kids in the backseat had head phones on and also "texted". I watched as a husband tried to have a conversation with his wife over coffee while the entire time she was otherwise 'disengaged" with her iphone and you guessed it..."texting".
What is happening to us? Myself included as I have found myself looking at my phone way too many times in an hour to check emails from clients. 
I had a few minutes of quiet today as I came to a nearby cafe for some long awaited stolen moments of peace, and yet I am still not in complete silence. The cafe is playing some light jazz music. We are surrounded my noise and distraction and all the time we are missing what is right in front of us....EACH OTHER! Your family and friends is where the most fulfillment in relationships can come from on a daily basis. The human spirit was created for connection and personal relationships.

Really....you are missing out on people standing right in front of you. I fear there will be a generation of young adults who really can not figure out how to really be with one another without distractions. To be entirely alone and quite and be able to have a real connection with your family and friends is priceless.
Find somewhere today to get quiet and alone with yourself and truly think. If you have some one you love, put the electronics away and go for a walk, really look at them and tell them you love them. Life is too short! Stop looking down...there's so much more around you....start looking up!